


Erasable

by cloudcraft



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Drinking, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Break Up, Pre-Relationship, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 14:56:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18813223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudcraft/pseuds/cloudcraft
Summary: "Tasuku had been even more tight-lipped since they'd found themselves in this time loop—although Tasuku got angry when Tsumugi called it that. As much as Misumi insisted that they needed to talk, Tasuku seemed to think that if he ignored the problem long enough, things would turn out fine. From a certain perspective, he was right. With the exception of poor Misumi, nobody else was troubled by the day looping over and over. If they—he, Tasuku, and Misumi—decided that the loop wasn't a problem, then it would truly stop being a problem."The days keep repeating and his interactions with Tasuku only become more strained. Exhaustion and exasperation drive Tsumugi to take somewhat extreme action. Set during the time loop arc of the first Winter story.





	Erasable

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired largely by the Mankai Stage version of the first Winter story, so it may be lacking in some of the finer details from game canon. I tried to get the dates right at least.
> 
> Thanks as always to [bananashiro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananashiro/) for editing.

On the third loop of the 12th, Tsumugi went to bed early. There didn't seem to be any point in staying up to work on his curriculum or mark up his script. It would just be gone when he woke up in the morning, as if a mischievous student snuck into his things overnight and erased everything he'd done.

Staying up past midnight was even worse. When he and Tasuku tried it, they woke up the next morning dazed and without any recollection of going to sleep the night before. Clearly, whatever spirit haunting that strange doll didn't like when they tried to cheat the rules. 

Of course, Tasuku still wouldn’t admit that the doll was to blame. 

Tsumugi turned in bed and glanced down at the floor below. When Tasuku sat on the couch, Tsumugi couldn't even see the back of his head from his bunk. He only knew if Tasuku was there by the occasional turn of his script pages. Sometimes a head scratch and a sigh. Tasuku probably wasn't even aware he was doing it, which would be endearing if it didn't make Tsumugi so anxious. 

When Tsumugi made even the slightest noise, he could tell that Tasuku noticed. It was unfair. 

He sat up in bed and leaned over until he could barely see the tips of Tasuku's slippered feet. 

"Tasuku?"

"What is it." 

His tone was curt. Not that Tsumugi didn't deserve it. Tasuku had been even more tight-lipped since they'd found themselves in this time loop—although Tasuku got angry when Tsumugi called it that. As much as Misumi insisted that they needed to talk, Tasuku seemed to think that if he ignored the problem long enough, things would turn out fine.

From a certain perspective, he was right. With the exception of poor Misumi, nobody else was troubled by the day looping over and over. If they—he, Tasuku, and Misumi—decided that the loop wasn't a problem, then it would truly stop being a problem. All they needed to do was agree that it was fine for the previous day to disappear. To be content with a blank notebook in the morning.

"...I know it’s late, but do you want a drink? I was thinking of picking up something light at the convenience store." 

At that, Tasuku finally leaned out to give him a narrow-eyed stare.

"You're already in bed." 

"I can't sleep. And I was wondering if my body will remember what I drank the night before, even though time hasn't--"

"That's ridiculous. Since when do you drink that much anyway?"

"I don't, I suppose. It's just an experiment."

Tsumugi wriggled out from his covers and clambered down from his bunk.

"I'll be heading out then. Let me know if you'd like anything."

In response, Tasuku simply made a noncommittal noise and turned back to his script. 

 

In the end, Tsumugi bought a drink for Tasuku without being asked. Tasuku didn't complain when Tsumugi set the cold can of beer on the coffee table, nor did he offer to pay Tsumugi back. Understandable, considering he hadn't asked for it in the first place. 

Tsumugi had barely settled in at his desk when he heard the beer crack and fizz open behind him. He lifted his own beer and turned over his shoulder with a hesitant smile.

"Cheers?"

Tasuku eyed him for a moment before tilting his drink in a half-hearted cheers.

The next part would be fuzzy in Tsumugi's memory the next morning, perhaps due in part to the mysterious properties of the time loop, and in part to Tsumugi's willingness to forget his behavior. Time would only reset, so what was the point?

He recalled this: the deep, wet noise in Tasuku's throat when he downed large gulps at a time. The bob of his Adam's apple when he tilted his head back to drink the last few drops. The low, breathy sigh after he swallowed. The hiss of his breath in the air. 

Tsumugi did not recall how he migrated from his desk to the couch, beside Tasuku. Surely he'd found some excuse. He had always been so good at that because Tasuku always wanted excuses. 

"Tsumugi, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Tsumugi murmured, leaning farther into Tasuku's side. "Right? We'll wake up in the morning and none of this will have happened."

More excuses. Tasuku claimed that he hated when Tsumugi made excuses, all while knowing that he couldn't function without them. 

Case in point: Tasuku turned to raise his drink out of Tsumugi’s way, which allowed Tsumugi to fall against Tasuku’s chest. He could have pushed him away, but instead he held Tsumugi carefully by the shoulders as he set his drink down. All the while grumbling about how Tsumugi needed to work on his alcohol tolerance.

"... Honestly, it’s ridiculous."

Tsumugi let out a small laugh against Tasuku's collarbone. All this time he’d been curious if Tasuku had dated or slept around since they parted ways after college. Now he was fairly certain that Tasuku hadn't been with anyone else. While older and more bitter, Tasuku was still Tasuku. Tsumugi couldn't imagine him letting anyone else this close, especially if he’d only known them for a year or two.

For all Tasuku knew, Tsumugi was the same. That was fine.

"Tasuku."

Tsumugi lifted his head, now a little heavier and fuzzier from the drink, and placed his lips hesitantly on the edge of Tasuku's jaw. With just one drink, neither of them would remain buzzed for long. This was Tasuku's last chance to push him away. 

But Tasuku remained firmly in place, letting out only a low noise from the back of his throat. Tsumugi placed his hands on Tasuku's waist, pushing himself up to bring their lips together.

Tasuku needed a moment to warm up. It took two or three lukewarm, beer-flavored kisses before Tasuku breathed in suddenly, gripping Tsumugi by the arms and pulling him closer. Grabbing onto the couch for purchase, Tsumugi let Tasuku drag him onto his lap.

God, he’d missed this.

Tsumugi dug his knees into the couch, sliding his hands from from the cushions to Tasuku's shoulders and back. Tasuku was loose and open now, wet and panting against his mouth. It was the most amazing thing about being alone with Tasuku—the way every hardened, stubborn inch of him instantly came unraveled with the focused application of heat. Tsumugi ran his hands down Tasuku's sides, melting him down. 

He contented himself with touches above Tasuku's clothes. He told himself that he didn't want to push his luck, but the true answer was probably closer to mild sadism than self-preservation. Back in college, Tsumugi had realized a very simple principle: the longer he took winding Tasuku up in the beginning, the harder he'd come loose in the end.

"Tsumugi," Tasuku gasped, breaking apart for air. His cheeks were flushed and his hair mussed—oh, had he done that? Tsumugi reached up to smooth his hair down, but Tasuku caught his hand with a low growl.

"We don't have much time."

Ah. It was nearly midnight. 

Tsumugi lifted his arms over his head without a word. Practiced and still so reliable, Tasuku ran his hands from Tsumugi's waist to shoulders, pulling his sweater and undershirt up and over Tsumugi's head. Before the sleeves were completely off his wrists, Tasuku dove down and kissed along Tsumugi's bare collar, leaving a wet trail from under his jaw to his clavicle.

"Tasuku—"

Rather than responding, Tasuku pulled off his own shirt and pressed their chests together, burying his face in Tsumugi's neck. Every inch of him was hot to the touch. Tsumugi could feel him growing hard beneath him. Raking his hands through Tasuku's hair, he ground down against Tasuku's lap and felt him growl against his chest in response. 

Tasuku's open-mouthed kisses slid down from his collar to his chest, his lips closing around Tsumugi's nipple. His own hardness straining against the front of his pants, Tsumugi let his eyes flutter closed as he rocked against Tasuku's body. He moaned Tasuku's name like he used to, late at night in their college dorm with the lights turned low and their favorite movies on in the background to muffle the sounds of their lovemaking. He pulled Tasuku deeper into him.

 

 

Tsumugi opened his eyes to the sound of his alarm clock and the bright sunlight against the wall. Shivering, he slowly gathered that he had fallen asleep in nothing but his underwear.

When had he fallen asleep, exactly?

"Tasuku?" 

He called out before he could think twice. The sound of Tasuku's chair moving came ahead of his response.

"What?"

Of course, Tasuku was already awake. He woke up before Tsumugi every morning, he always had. But if Tasuku wasn't out on his morning run, that meant Tsumugi hadn't slept in too late. Or that Tasuku was just as tired as Tsumugi was, with the same vague ache still residing in his limbs from a night that may or may not have happened.

Pulling up his phone, Tsumugi checked the date. Still the twelfth, which meant that last night hadn’t happened—or had yet to happen. Just as he had planned, right? 

"... Nothing."

A long pause, easily five distinct beats, before Tasuku cleared his throat.

"See you at morning rehearsal."

"Right. I'll be there in a moment."

Tsumugi waited until Tasuku had gone before lowering himself from the bunk, goosebumps prickling across his naked skin. Before he got dressed, he stood in front of the mirror and looked himself over, examining the points of interest as best he could remember: his neck, his waist, his nipples. 

Nothing. 

'If only they'd been as easy to erase in college,' he thought with a wry smile and a sigh. It would have saved him some money in concealer and unseasonable scarves.

It wasn’t worth dwelling. He needed to come back to the present, where they had a play to prepare and Tasuku, for all his begrudging willingness to make excuses, still hated him. 

But it had been nice to forget, if only for a few short-lived hours.


End file.
